Northern researcher promotes better ways to help people quit smoking
A habit that is the top cause of preventable premature death in Canada is more common in northern Ontario than in the rest of the province, says researcher Dr. Patricia Smith.
Yet Smith said most programs to help people quit smoking only offer basic counselling and nicotine therapies, which she said tend not to be effective.
"When we say 'stop smoking' ... all we're doing is giving people advice and not helping them set the stage," said Smith.
"You really need what we call intensive programs -- programs that have at least eight sessions with them."
Smith said the reason they are rare is because they are expensive to deliver.
That's why she's working with the Northern Ontario School of Medicine to figure out how to introduce it to communities across the country, with the help of just more than $300,000 from the federal Healthy Canadians and Communities Fund.
It's especially needed in northern and rural Ontario, she said, where twice the number of people under age 45 smoke, compared with the rest of Ontario.
Smith said up to 15 per cent of smokers will find brief counselling and nicotine gum sufficient help to quit.
However, her research piloting a smoking cessation intervention program in northwestern Ontario claims success in some areas:
• Up to 35 per cent success rate for the general population
• Around 50 per cent for Indigenous communities
• Around 70 per cent of patients with heart disease
Smith's research also poses that incorporating smoking cessation intervention into existing substance use disorder treatment programs would prove beneficial as well, since around 80 per cent people with substance use or mental health issues also smoke tobacco.
Centralizing smoking intervention programs at one local health agency or hospital in each community is one way Smith is proposing they could be rolled out in a sustainable way.
Smith is also working with First Response Mental Health to develop a customized version of its mobile mental health app, PeerConnect, as a possible avenue to deliver information and peer support for smokers, as well as connect people to services in their area.
While communities like Timmins do have access to some smoking cessation programs, one local woman said quitting has been a challenge and has been looking for an effective solution.
"Unfortunately, it isn't going so well, as I have started (smoking) again but would really like to quit for good," said Karen Bradbury in a Facebook message.
"I just find that there is no support for people quitting smoking in Timmins."
Smith's project is focusing primarily on helping younger people, Indigenous and rural populations and the 2SLGBTQ+ community, since smoking is most prevalent in those groups.
Smith also intends to consult with smokers who've tried to quit to learn about the challenges they've faced.
"What do they see as their concerns, their barriers? Why do they smoke? Why is it higher among certain groups? We're going to find all of that out," Smith said.
The federal government has a goal of reducing tobacco smoking to five per cent of Canadians by 2035.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
opinion I've been a criminal attorney for decades. Here's what I think about the case against Trump
Joey Jackson, a criminal defence attorney and a legal analyst for CNN, outlines what he thinks about the criminal case against Donald Trump in the 'hush money trial.'
$3.8M home in B.C.'s Okanagan has steel shell for extra wildfire protection
A home in B.C.'s Okanagan that features a weathering steel shell designed to provide some protection against wildfires has been listed for sale at $3.8 million.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
Celebrity designer sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile handbags
A leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the 'Sex and the City' TV series was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in Miami federal court on charges of smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia.
Wildfire leads to evacuation order issued for northeast Alberta community
An evacuation order was issued on Monday afternoon for homes in the area of Cold Lake First Nation.